MOTOGP
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 4/MAY 3, 2015
JEREZ CIRCUIT/ JEREZ, SPAIN
P66
>>ANOTHER
FOR FOLGER
Defending champion Tito Rabat
(Estrella Marc VDS Kalex) was on pole
for the first time all year, and took off
in the lead in fine style. But he was not
alone. Qatar winner Jonas Folger on
the AGR Kalex was on his heels, and
awaiting developments; not far behind
was Derendinger Kalex' Thomas Luthi
and star rookie Alex Rins on the Pa-
ginas Amarillas Kalex. And Ajo Kalex'
Johann Zarco was making his way
through from a third row start.
Rabat was somewhat troubled. "I
had bad front wheel chatter, and it
kept closing," he said. "It hadn't hap-
pened all weekend."
Soon enough, on lap 10, he was
caught out enough to leave a gap for
Folger to get through. The German
was on the limit, but marginally faster,
then "in the last 10 laps I did four or
five really risky laps to stretch the
gap".
By the 21st he was better than a
second away, and almost two over the
line.
The drama was behind him. Rins,
who set fastest lap on the third tour,
had got ahead of Luthi for third on lap
seven, and would soon start press-
ing Rabat. But in the later stages
Zarco was the fastest out there, and
he also passed Luthi for fourth with
eight laps to go. The Swiss rider would
continue to lose ground as the end
approached.
And what an end.
Jerez's most famous and decisive
corner is the final hairpin, and it was
here that the drama was played to its
conclusion.
Rabat was still in front as the trio
slammed on brakes; but Rins had a
better idea. He dived inside to seize
the apex. But he was too fast. He
slipped, struck Rabat's back wheel,
and was down for his first non-finish of
his debut Moto2 season.
Zarco was poised to take advantage
of the confusion, and nipped inside
Rabat to secure a valuable second
